Republicans in the House of Representatives are struggling to come to a decision in regards to the kind of pathway to US citizenship that should be given to the 11 million undocumented immigrants that are already living in the country illegally, with a small but growing number of members wanting to provide one – so long as it is not the one passed by the Senate and endorsed by the Democrats.
Many Republicans in the House believe that people who overstayed their visas or illegally crossed the border should not be given a solution that sees them rewarded for breaking the law with US citizenship, particularly when millions are still in line waiting to become citizens the legal way. However, not all members of the Republican Party concur with this thinking, and with Hispanic voters having turned on their party at the last election, and that group only continuing to grow, they appear to have demographics on their side.
When Congress returns from its summer break next week, the House will be the focus. The Senate, which is controlled by the Democrats, passed a bill back in June that included a large new investment in border security and a remaking of the system for legal immigration, as well as the creation of a 13-year pathway to US citizenship for those in the country already.
The Senate approach has been rejected by House Republicans, who have instead promised to go ahead with narrowly focused bills in the fall. This has caused pessimism among some, but recent comments from Republicans now indicate a citizenship solution may finally be possible.